When I was released originally for prison in Virginia, I transferred my probation down to Jackosnville, FL. I was employed through a staffing firm, working at BAE Systems within two weeks. I was amazed and proud. Everyone told me getting a job was going to be hard now that I was a felon. I kept telling them BS. I have such a wide array of skills, I'll find something and I did. I was working at a Information Technology Technician and was loving the job. After 90 days, BAE Systems decided to bring me on as a permanent employee vice working through a staffing company. Well as I filled out the application in the HR department, the question of felony convictions came up. I explained the the HR person I had told the staffing company about my convictions, and the HR person said no problem; we'll just see how the application comes back from HQ. Well the next day I was let go. I had worked there for 90 days. They were offering me a permanent position and pay raise, and all that got taken away. 90 days with no issues, 90 days and the higher up loved me. I was devastated.
This became a recurring theme for a long time. I have been offered several position and they have been taken away due to background checks. This was crazy to me. Every time I had to explain my conviction, I was explain it was due to PTSD that the incident occurred and I had served my country for 10+ years, a lot of that time in combat zones. WTF!
One more story about this. I saw a job posting at a prominent organization that helps Veterans. It was for a Systems Analyst position. By this time, I had put myself through school and received my A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications. As I sat in the interview, things were going great. I thought I was a shoe-in. Here I was with all the right qualifications, on top of that I was a Veteran. This organization said they could not employ me because I was a violent felon. Again WTF! I don't name this organization because I still have a high level of respect for what they do and continue to do.
During times of unemployment, I would go to my probation officer, and ask if there was any resources they knew about. These are the people that are suppose to work with their cases, work by keeping the community safe (for example making sure convicts have jobs and are not turning to crime). This was a complete waste of time. I asked several probation officers about resources for felons to get jobs...all of them told me they didn't know of any. This is a complete lack of training or apathy on their parts.
I say its apathy primarily and this is why: I ended up going to jail and prison for a second time. While I was in, I continuously asked other convicts what they did for work. My eyes were opened to a whole list of resources and companies (some that even have special programs for people recently released from incarceration). This dumb-founded me. Why was it in jail and prison, I learned from other inmates; why didn't I hear of these things from my probation officer. Good luck doing a google search for places that hire felons.
There are also benefits for companies to hire felons. A lot of employers will not hire felons, because their insurance companies will not cover them for loss at the felons hands (ie embezzlement, fraud, work place violence, theft). Well there is a program that provides free federal bonding for any company employing a felon that protects them against those things. Also, the IRS offers a tax break for companies that hire felons called Work Opportunity Tax Credit. I learned about all this in prison, when I should have been learning this from my probation officer.
That is the goal of "The Conviction House", the non-profit I am starting up. I want to use the funds I raise to use towards marketing and educating companies about the 200,000+ Veterans that are incarcerated and multitudes of other that were formerly incarcerated. These are men and women who have been through some of the best training our nation provides and they are going to have a tough time receiving employment. Also, if I can get enough funding coming it, I have several businesses I would like to start up which would only employ convicts.
There are so many of us who have had problems with PTSD that have ended up in prison. All you have to do is google "incarcerated veterans" and read our stories first hand. Here are the first couple of links that pop up when you google "incarcerated veterans", I have included one of the many stories down when I had my problems as the first link:
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